An electrical outlet strip typically includes a case stamped from sheet metal in the form of a base and a cover which together define a box-like space. One or more electrical outlet receptacles, typically five or more, are disposed in individual apertures in the top face of the cover, the receptacles usually being held in the apertures by resilient snap-in members carried by the receptacles in a manner to engage the peripheries of the apertures. The front faces of the receptacles are exposed at the locations of the apertures and are provided with the usual holes for receiving the prongs of an electrical plug. Typically there are three holes, two for receiving the power prongs of the plug and the third for receiving a ground prong regardless of whether the plug includes a ground prong.
In the past the outlet receptacles which have been used in making outlet strips have been conventional snap-in receptacles of the kind employed in major household appliances such as stoves and ovens, where it was desired to provide the user with one or two outlets for operating smaller appliances such as electric mixers, electric coffee makers or electric knives. A conventional receptacle of this kind typically comprises, in addition to the snap-in feature, an electrically insulating body having two fixed metal terminals (live and neutral) on its rear face, that is on the face opposite the prong-receiving face. A ground connection is also provided in the form of either a third fixed terminal or a flexible insulated pig-tail. When such receptacles are snapped into the apertures in an outlet strip the terminals and the ground connection are readily accessible through the opening in the casing formed when the base is not in place. One of the steps in the assembly of the final outlet strip is to manually connect the live and neutral terminals in parallel inside the casing and to connect all of the ground connections to the casing. In the conventional appliance-type receptacle the live and neutral terminals are simple rectangular tabs, sometimes with a hole therethrough and sometimes without a hole. This kind of live and neutral terminal arrangement is quite satisfactory when one or two receptacles are to be connected into a major appliance. But when making outlet strips where five or more receptacles are fitted into a single small casing the wiring of the receptacles in parallel became quite time consuming. Several techniques were developed, usually including the use of two bus wires, one connected to all the live terminals and the other connected to all the neutral terminals, by threading, interlacing, wrapping or soldering or some combination of these. The techniques produced satisfactory results, but as requirements for heavier bus wire and for mechanical security prior to soldering came into effect the labor costs for these techniques increased. The individual wiring of each of the five or more ground connections, whether tab-type or pig-tail, to the casing also resulted in high labor costs.